Washing machine having water jets

ABSTRACT

A washing machine includes a container disposed within an outer housing and having a chamber for receiving clothes to be washed, and a generating device for generating water streams or jets to act onto the clothes and to wash the clothes with the water jets, without typical rotary agitating members. The generating device includes a rotatable member rotatably disposed within the container, and having a helical agitating member for generating the water jets when the rotatable member is rotated relative to the container. A hood is engaged onto the rotatable member, for separating the clothes from the rotatable member. An inner receptacle is disposed in the container to support the hood.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a washing machine, and more particularly to a washing machine provided for generating water streams or water jets to clean or wash clothes without typical rotary agitators.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Typical washing machines comprise one or more typical rotatable members or rotary agitators rotatably received in a receptacle, for rotating and washing clothes with frictional force or by scrubbing operations.

However, the rotatable members or rotary agitators of the typical washing machines may directly contact and engage with the clothes to be washed, and may thus easily scrub and damage the clothes after washing operations.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional washing machines.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a washing machine for generating water streams or water jets to act onto and to clean and wash the clothes without typical rotary agitators.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a washing machine comprising an outer housing, a container disposed within the outer housing and having a chamber formed therein for receiving water and clothes to be washed, and a generating device for generating water jets to act onto the clothes and to wash the clothes with the water jets.

The generating device includes a rotatable member rotatably disposed within the chamber of the container, and rotatable to generate the water jets. The rotatable member includes a helical agitating member provided on an outer peripheral portion thereof, for generating the water jets when the rotatable member is rotated relative to the container.

The housing includes a driving device disposed therein and coupled to the rotatable member, for rotating and driving the rotatable member. The generating device includes a hood engaged onto the rotatable member, for separating the clothes from the rotatable member.

The container includes an inner receptacle disposed therein, and the hood is secured onto the inner receptacle and engaged onto the rotatable member, for shielding or covering the rotatable member, and for preventing the rotatable member from being directly contacted with the clothes to be washed, and for suitably separating the rotatable member from the clothes, to allow the water streams or the water jets to suitably act onto the clothes. The hood includes a peripheral flange radially extended outwardly therefrom, and secured to the inner receptacle.

Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a washing machine in accordance with the present invention, in which a portion of the washing machine has been cut off, to show an inner structure of the washing machine;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial cross sectional view of the washing machine, taken along lines 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial perspective view of the washing machine;

FIG. 4 is a partial exploded view showing an agitator of the washing machine;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial cross sectional view similar to FIG. 2, illustrating the operation of the washing machine; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged partial cross sectional view similar to FIGS. 2 and 5, illustrating the other operating method of the washing machine.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1-4, a washing machine in accordance with the present invention comprises an outer housing 10 including a driving device or a motor 11 disposed therein, such as disposed in the lower portion thereof, and including a container 12 disposed within the outer housing 11 and having a chamber 13 formed therein for receiving water to clean or wash the clothes to be washed, and also for receiving the clothes to be washed therein.

An agitator 20 includes a rotatable member 21 rotatably disposed or received within the chamber 13 of the container 12 with such as a spindle 22, and coupled to the driving device or motor 11 via a transmitting or coupling device 14 (FIG. 1), such as a transmission belt, a chain, or the like, to allow the rotatable member 21 to be rotated or driven by the driving device or motor 11. The rotatable member 21 includes a helical agitating member 23 formed or provided on the outer peripheral portion thereof, for generating water streams or water jets (FIG. 5) when the rotatable member 21 is rotated or driven by the driving device or motor 11.

It is preferable that the washing machine further includes an inner receptacle 30 disposed within the chamber 13 of the container 12. The inner receptacle 30 may either be stationary or rotatably disposed within the chamber 13 of the container 12, and may also be coupled to the driving device or motor 11 via the transmitting or coupling device 14, to allow the inner receptacle 30 to be selectively rotated or driven by the driving device or motor 11, when required.

A cover or a hood 40 may further be provided and engaged onto the rotatable member 21 of the agitator 20, and may include a peripheral flange 41 radially extended outwardly therefrom, for securing to the inner receptacle 30 with such as fasteners 42, and includes a number of apertures 43 formed therein, for allowing the water streams or water jets generated by the rotatable member 21 of the agitator 20 to flow through the apertures 43 of the hood 40, best shown in FIG. 5, such as when the rotatable member 21 is rotated or driven by the driving device or motor 11.

The water streams or water jets generated by the rotatable member 21 of the agitator 20 may include a predetermined or suitable high speed, to agitate or to circulate the water and the clothes received in the inner receptacle 30 and/or in the container 12 of the outer housing 10, in order to act onto the clothes and thus to clean or to wash the clothes with the high speed water streams or water jets. The rotatable member 21 of the agitator 20 may thus be formed or acted as an agitating or generating means or device to generate the high speed water streams or water jets, for washing the clothes.

The provision of the hood 40 and the engagement of the hood 40 onto the rotatable member 21 of the agitator 20 may prevent the clothes from directly engaging onto or contacting with the rotatable member 21 of the agitator 20, or may suitably separate the clothes away from the rotatable member 21 of the agitator 20, to allow the high speed water streams or water jets to suitably act onto and to suitably clean and wash the clothes. The hood 40 may thus be used or acted as a separating means or device for suitably separating the rotatable member 21 of the agitator 20 from the clothes.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 6, the rotatable member 21 of the agitator 20 may be stationarily disposed in the inner receptacle 30 and/or in the container 12, and the water flowing into the container 12 or the inner receptacle 30 may be guided to flow through or to act onto the helical agitating member 23 of the rotatable member 21, in order to generate the high speed water streams or water jets. The inner receptacle 30 and the hood 40 may be rotated or driven by the driving device or motor 11, to allow the high speed water streams or water jets to evenly or suitably act onto the clothes to be washed.

It is to be noted that the typical washing machines failed to provide high speed water streams or water jets to wash the clothes to be washed. The attachment or the provision of the inner receptacle 30 and the hood 40 is optional, and is not necessarily be disposed in the container 12 and engaged onto the rotatable member 21 of the agitator 20.

Accordingly, the washing machine in accordance with the present invention may be provided for generating high speed water streams or water jets to clean and wash clothes without typical rotary agitators.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. 

1. A washing machine comprising: an outer housing, a container disposed within said outer housing and having a chamber formed therein for receiving water and clothes to be washed, and means for generating water jets to act onto the clothes and to wash the clothes with the water jets.
 2. The washing machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said generating means includes a rotatable member rotatably disposed within said chamber of said container, and rotatable to generate the water jets.
 3. The washing machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein said rotatable member includes a helical agitating member provided on an outer peripheral portion thereof, for generating the water jets when said rotatable member is rotated relative to said container.
 4. The washing machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein said housing includes a driving device disposed therein and coupled to said rotatable member, for rotating and driving said rotatable member.
 5. The washing machine as claimed in claim 2 further comprising means for separating the clothes from said rotatable member.
 6. The washing machine as claimed in claim 5, wherein said separating means includes a hood engaged onto said rotatable member, for separating the clothes from said rotatable member.
 7. The washing machine as claimed in claim 6, wherein said container includes an inner receptacle disposed therein, said hood is secured onto said inner receptacle and engaged onto said rotatable member.
 8. The washing machine as claimed in claim 7, wherein said hood includes a peripheral flange radially extended outwardly therefrom, and secured to said inner receptacle. 